Most communities roll out the welcome wagon for military veterans, solid families and Habitat for Humanity.

But some Morton residents don’t want that kind of riff-raff in their neighborhood. Noses in air, a petition is being circulated to protest the arrival of the first military home by Habitat for Humanity of the Greater Peoria Area. Why? The dwelling is — gasp! — made of wood, while all of the surrounding residences consist of brick.

The horror!

No one is sure who is behind the petitions. But it’s apparently the handiwork of some of the residents in a 60-year-old subdivision on the west edge of Morton. Maybe they have too much time or money on their hands. They don’t seem to have much tact, patience or gratitude.

Mind you, the house has the blessing of U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock, R-Peoria. He is raising funds to help build the place, intended for a wounded battle vet, his wife and their three children.

“Our motto has always been we will never forget,” Schock said in July. “This is a couple who made a sacrifice multiple times with multiple tours of duty. They served very honorably for our country and they are in need of a home.”

U.S. Army Sgt. Brian Wood, 28, served two tours in Afghanistan, earning two bronze stars and losing his hearing in one ear. The Peoria native still serves with the National Guard and works full time as a warehouse manager.

He and his wife, Julie, a 28-year-old Bartonville native, have three kids: Arabella, 8, Samara, 2, and Isaiah, 2 months. They’ve been living with relatives while looking for a suitable, safe home.

Brian Wood admits that after he got home, he struggled to adjust to life back in central Illinois. One of his biggest frustrations was trying to find an affordable place to live. He shared that concern with a Veterans Affairs counselor, who suggested Habitat for Humanity.

The international not-for-profit group builds homes for responsible, qualified people. In general, that means you have to be able to pay for your share of the place, plus invest sweat equity, either in their own structure or others’.

Habitat, which runs vigorous background checks, has clients from all sorts of backgrounds and economic levels, says Lea Anne Schmidgall, executive director for the local chapter. For example, a family of four with a household income of more than $50,000 still can qualify for Habitat help, she says.

“A lot of people don’t realize that,” she says.

The Wood family seemed ideal to participate.

“The family is wonderful,” Schmidgall says. “And the husband is still serving his country.”

Page 2 of 3 -
That’s not only laudable and patriotic, but fits Habitat’s new push to help veterans. As plans went along, Habitat found an empty lot on Sycamore Avenue in Morton, where it would build a house worth $130,000 — just about the value of surrounding homes. Of the total, $50,000 would come from volunteers’ labor, with the Woods responsible for the $80,000 on a 20-year, no-interest mortgage. Plus, Schock is looking to raise money to pay some of those costs.

Says Brian Wood, “We were blessed to get to go to Morton. We know it’s wonderful community.”

Good deal all-around? Not among some of the Woods’ would-be neighbors, who seem to brim with the charm of angry townsfolk wielding pitchforks and torches.

Matt Sommer, 56, has lived in the neighborhood for four years. Last week, a lady (about 75 years old) knocked on his door and flashed a petition. He didn’t see the words, but noticed about 10 signatures. The lady mentioned a Habitat house being built in the neighborhood.

“Do you realize,” she asked, “that it’s going to made of wood, not brick?”

The neighborhood’s dozens upon dozens of houses — all of them ranch homes — are all brick, a few with stone. There’s no clapboard or anything like that.

Sommer said he didn’t know about any building materials. Nor did the lady say if she was worried about some sort of depreciation of home values.

But Sommer had read a recent story in a community newspaper about the Woods family and Habitat. He asked the lady if she knew the house would be home for a veteran.

She said yes. In fact, she said, her son was a veteran. But apparently that didn’t matter to her, a fact Sommer thought to be strange. So, he politely declined to sign the petition and shut the door. He isn’t concerned about what the house is to be made of.

“We were taken aback,” Brian Wood says. “At first, my wife and I were really hurt. We just felt they really don’t know us as a family.”

Schock’s office referred all building-related questions to Habitat’s Schmidgall. She says she wishes the petitioners hadn’t jumped the gun. She got a couple of calls about the dwelling, but nothing in-depth. One caller said a “covenant” mandates that all of the subdivision’s homes be made of brick, but nothing like that can be found in any Morton or Tazewell County records.

More importantly, even if there’s no written edict regarding brick, Habitat works to blend houses into neighborhoods all the time.

Page 3 of 3 -
“If we have to add brick, we’ll do it,” Schmidgall says.

The home isn’t to be built until next spring. There’s plenty of time to hammer out details. Schmidgall wishes any concerned parties had talked to her more in-depth before rushing out with a petition.

What’s the harm? By their nature, petitions trigger apprehension and worry. Homeowners in the area might get the impression that some sort of slipshod housing might be invading the area. For another, they might get the wrong idea about Habitat.